A collection of five novellas from Ronald Malfi, They Lurk republishes four stories and one new work to create an excellent and harmonious book full of dreadful horror. Themes of ominous uncertainty, strangeness and the unknown weave through each tale, building the tension and terror perfectly. Starting with the case of four lost campers and ending on a story of survival in the face of a mad killer, They Lurk is an exceptional look at the things that hide in the shadows.
When the parents of four teens hire a private detective, John Jeffers, to discover what happened on a camping trip the children took and why only one emerged from the forest, all manner of theories abound. And theories is all Jeffers has because the lone survivor is catatonic; badly injured and suffering such trauma that he hasn’t spoken a word since he was found. The local police seem reticent to explain what is happening with the case whilst the townsfolk don’t want to talk about the woods. But, as Jeffers digs and prods he discovers that the unknown is nothing short of terrifying. Skullbelly cleverly pits folk horror against the equally nefarious possibility of human evil and leaves it as open as the case of the missing kids. Cleverly constructed, it’s a great opening novella that speaks to that blend of thriller and horror Malfi has become known for.
The Separation is a vastly different prospect but one which plays on the ambiguity of the horror residing at its heart nonetheless. Information is achieved almost via osmosis as the main character, Marcus, discusses the changes and mental decline of Charlie. A prizefighter going through a divorce, Charlie refuses to eat or sleep and appears to be unaware of his actions. For his friends and his manager it’s a difficult situation. Though Marcus is a therapist, even he is at a loss as to how to deal with Charlie’s decline. Written with a quirky cadence, Separation slowly unravels as what appears to be morphs into something else before ending with a brutal gut punch.
Absurd and infused with frustration, The Stranger reads like an older story, playing on how a ridiculous situation escalates beyond reasonable proportions. Driving through America, David realises his spur of the moment romance with Rhonda has curdled over the miles. However, that annoyance is only exacerbated when, stopping overnight at a motel, a stranger takes over his car. Unspeaking, unmoving, the man refuses to exit the vehicle even when the police arrive. The strangeness builds into something nightmarish and awful, almost beyond words. Written with and intensity and dread, it’s a bizarre and unforgettable story.
After The Fade is a brilliant and claustrophobic story reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Mist. In some ways, it felt like it could be the opening chapters for a much longer work. But, what it achieves is excellent. Planning to split up with his girlfriend, Tom heads to a local bar to meet her. However, it’s not long after Lauren arrives that the world falls apart. A young woman staggers into the bar with something awful and insectile attached to her head. What ensues is a nail biting tale of surviving the night. Replete with excellent characters, each of whom offer an insight into the apocalyptic situation, the first person narrative gives the story a terrifying and personal touch.
The only previously unpublished story in this collection, Fierce is a fascinating survival horror that twists and turns between the present narrative and a past incident. Each story dovetails perfectly into the other; each a story of bravery and determination. Driving home after a dinner with her father, Connie and her mother, Elaine, are driven off the road by a truck. When Elaine is then assaulted by the other driver, Connie escapes into the winter night, running through snowy forests in an attempt to flee. But, with no phone and nowhere to go, she returns to the accident hoping to find a way to get help. Discovering the scene of the crime has been cleaned up, she treks back to a remote farm house only to discover she’s entered the lair of her attacker. The narrative is broken up by flashbacks to a childhood camping trip where her mother protected her from a wild animal. Channeling that same resolve, Connie sets out to save her mother. Cleverly crafted, Fierce is a dark and compelling story that pulls at the heartstrings whilst ramping up the adrenaline. Probably my favourite of the collection, it’s a visceral and intense slice of horror.
Brilliant writing, engaging stories and a thrilling dose of horror, They Lurk showcases Malfi at his best.
Review copy
Published by Titan Books
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